m&h& a& CHEMICAL EDUCATION A - w S w
Condensed Norms: ACS Cooperative Examinations
Two
new tests were released in the spring of 1958.' The norms have been calculated from the reports, and a condensed version is given below. The condensed norms are selected from a much larger
body of data which can he obtained from the Examinations Committee, American Chemical Society, Theo. A. Ashford, Chairman, 1402 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis 4, Missouri.
GENERAL CHEMISTRY, FORMS 1958 and 1958-S
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. FORM 1958
Maximum possihle more
Q groups 100
N-Q groupb 100
Entire groupe 100
Maximum possible
Total groupa 100
Score
Percentile rank
The scoring formula used was R-W/4 throughout. The figures given are raw scores. A sample of 1398 papers from 18 institutions was selected from the entire c r o w with fairly common characteristics. The studentswere tested a t t h e end of a two-semester course
eral weeks of q u a l i t a h e anili.vsis were taught to these students, rangingfrom 11 to 18 weeks, with a mean of 15.0 weeks. * A sample of 1788 papers from 13 institutions was selected from the entire group with fairly common characteristics. The students were tested a t the end of B two-semester course receiving 8 hours credit. There were 3 t o 4 lecture hours given per week, with a mean of 3.1 and 3 to 6 laboratory hours per week, with a mean of 3.6. Little or no quditative analysis was taught, the range being from 0 to 4 weeks with a, meen of 1.1 weeks. = T h e entire group totaled 4788 students from 40 institutions. All students were tested s t the end of s. two-semester course receivine credit varvinn from 6 t o 10 hours with a mean of 8.4 hours. I n these sehoo& the lecture hours per week ranged from 2 to 4, the mean being 3.1 and the lshoret6ry hours from 2 to 6, with the mean of 3.7. There was a wide range of t o t d a-eeks merit on aualitative analvsis. raneine from 0 to 18. with a mean df 6.4. T'he reliability ioefficienc f& the entire group is 0.936, calculated hy the Kuder-Richardson Formula No. 21. 'Condensed norms for the ourrently used ACS Cooperative Examinations in J . CHEM.EDUC.,34, 144 (1957) and 35, 244 (1958).
148
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Journol of Chemicol Education
The scoring formula used was R W / 4 throughout. All fieures given are raw scores.
ing to the following chara&istics. The students received from 8 to 10 hours credit, with a mean of 8.2 hours. The lecture time varied from 2 to 3 hours per week with a. mean of 2.7 hours, and the laboratory time per week ranged from 3 to 6 hours with a. mean of 4.8 hours. The reliability coefficient for the entire group is 0.958 calculated by the Kuder-Richardson Formula No. 21.
Reviews General Chemistry, Forms 1958 and 1958s This examination follows the three-part format of its predecessors, Form M and K: Recall of Information (20 minutes, 30 items); Applic&tion of Principles (50 minutes, 45 items); and Quantitative Application of Principles (35 minutes, 25 items). Both are of the multiple choice type and are identied except for the sequence of questions and responses, a precaution to discourage ooopying in crowded classmoms. The 100 items, almost all new, were selected from 400 originally submitted, after screening and pretesting a t 31 colleges. The test's oomprehensive nature will probably limit its use to a final examination covering the entire general chemistry course. Indirectly, it
indicates what over 60 instructors from varied baokgrounds consider important to teach and test in general chemistry. The current trend from a descriptive to a theoretical approach is reflected throughout the test. Most of the questions, even those under the "Recall" section, require reasoning power. Many "descriptive" questions fallow from theory, and a student not expased to the specific information might still be able to answer from his knowledge of atomic structure and periodic table relationships. Howevsr, industrial chemistry has not been neglected. Of the five equations to he balanced, only one required knowledge of the products, and onlv one was of the principal net ("ionic") t,vpe now in wide use. Additional items might have been included had equation-balancing problems been deleted as separate item8 and inserted under stoichiometry.
GEORGE B. KAUFPMAN Fresno State College Fresno, California
Organic Chemistry, Form 1958 Another examination in organic chemistqy designated Form 1968 has been prepared. This test is constructed by a group of teachers from more than 20 colleges undw the general direction of a subcommittee headed bv B. A. Ndmn. I t is designed far
use as part of a final examination in a full y e w course in orgainc chemistry. Composed of 100 questions taking 100 minutes it is muoh like the other examinations in the series. All questions are multiple choice type with answer sheets provided for either manual or machine scoring. The first 50 questions cover mainly the aliphatic and, the second 50, largely the aromatic divisions. This is a distinct advantage for teachers who may want to test these areas separately. It would also be useful in placing a student whose background courses are not easily determined. In contrast with some former examinations each of these questions has only one correct answer. This feature should avoid the confusion which has been noticed when etudents took the previous forms. The questions survey the field as well as any hundred questions could. They cover functional group preparations and reactions, nomenclature, problems of synthesis, proof of structure, and identification, and a t lemt 10% involve the modern concepts and mechanisms. Some teachers may feel there should be some direct questions on laboratory technique. This 1958 form of the "ACS Cooperative Examination in Organic Chemistry" seems to he a. distinct improvement over the other forms and should be caefillly considered for use by many teachers.
M . P. PUTERBAUGH Univemity of Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri
Volume
36, Number 3, March 1959
149
